With The King of Kindergarten, I did a lot of research and I found two things. What compelled you to write The King of Kindergarten and The Queen of Kindergarten? I got lured into writing children’s books and I love it. It was a two-book deal for early reader books. One of the first book deals she came to me with was from Just for Us Books. He had an agent by the name of Regina Brooks and I’ve been with her since 2003. James, the illustrator of Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut and I Am Every Good Thing, and I met at Hallmark. I was the first Black man in the history of the company to be hired as a copywriter. My first job right after graduating college in 1999 was at Hallmark. What motivated you to begin writing for children? Barnes spoke with PW about why reading children’s books featuring Black kids is vital for all children, the storytellers he looks up to, and the family members who inspired his characters. In Queen, a Black girl faces her first day in kindergarten with all the excitement and poise of a queen. In his latest, The Queen of Kindergarten, Barnes returns to the first day of school in this follow-up to his bestselling picture book, The King of Kindergarten, both illustrated by long-time collaborator Vanessa Brantley-Newton. Award-winning children’s book author Derrick Barnes has built an illustrious career writing for children with picture books, early readers, and middle grade novels.
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